England
- 21 hours ago
Osimhen AND Toney to Saudi? Why Al-Ahli can't sign both Chelsea targets... yet
Robin Bairner
- 30 Aug 2024 13:00 BST
- 2 min read
Chelsea’s Transfer Deadline Day threatens to be ruined by Al-Ahli, who have agreed personal terms with both Ivan Toney and Victor Osimhen – the two strikers the Blues want to sign to add quality to their side this season.
For the Blues, this is a difficult position. They cannot afford to match the contract offers from the Saudi Pro League side, leaving their transfer hopes on the edge of a knife.
Reports have been mixed as to whether Al-Ahli genuinely want to sign both players, but even if they do, capturing them both is unlikely.
Money, of course, is not the problem for the Saudi club. Instead, there’s a registration issue that they will have to overcome if they are to make a blockbuster double deal.
DEADLINE DAY: Every confirmed transfer around Europe
Compared
Osimhen and Toney to Saudi? What's the problem?
Quite simply Al-Ahli don’t have the slots in their squad to allow two foreign players to sign for the club.
Saudi Pro League teams can have eight foreign players in their squad plus two more born in 2003 or later. Right now, Al-Ahli have eight foreigners in their squad but one, Alexsander, who counts as an U21 player.
BREAKING NEWS! Transfer Deadline Day Live! Minute-by-minute updates of all the biggest deals
Al-Alhi’s eight foreign players
- Roger Ibanez
- Riyad Mahrez
- Roberto Firmino
- Edouard Mendy
- Gabri Veiga
- Merih Demiral
- Franck Kessie
- Alexsander*
*U21
What this means is that they can sign two foreigners, but only if one of them is under 21. This applies to neither Toney or Osimhen, so as things currently stand, they will have to make the decision between one or the other.
The kicker, however, is that the Saudi transfer window does not close until early October. This could potentially give Al-Ahli leeway to make some moves – perhaps shipping out one or more of the aforementioned players to another Pro League club – and broker a deal sometime in the next five weeks.
Even the loan market could be utilised to free up one of the spots: Allan Saint-Maximin and Marcao are presently on Al-Ahli’s books but are away from the club on a temporary basis.
While Toney and Osimhen to Al-Ahli is not totally off the cards, then, it looks difficult to broker.
Read more about: Serie A, Premier League, Professional League, Al Ahli, Brentford, Chelsea, Napoli, Ivan Toney, Victor Osimhen
